Electrode-lead for vapor electric apparatus.



0; A. KRAUS & R. 1). MAILEY. ELEGTRODB LEAD FOR VAPOR ELECTRIC.APPARATUS.

APPLIOATION FILED JUNE30,1910.

1,066,504 Patented July 8,1913.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES A. KRAUS, OF NEWTON HIGHLANDS, AND ROY D. MAILEY, OF LYNN,

, MASSACHUSETTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 8, 1913.

Application filed June 30, 1810. Serial No. 569,700.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, CHARLES A. KRAUB and RoyD. MAILEY, both citizens of the United States, and residents,respectively, of Newton Highlands and Lynn, in the counties of Middlesexand Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Electrode-Leads for Vapor Electric Apparatus, of whichthe following is a specification.

Our invention relates to the construction of va or electric apparatusandhas for its specia object the. provision of mercury cathode leads andconnections which shall be efficient and durable under operativeconditions which involve the transformation of currents of largecapacity through the ap- I sheet metal, and so far as our experiencewith such apparatus serves as a guide, it is practicall necessary tointroduce the electrode lea s pertaining to such a metal containedapparatus through the upper portion, preferably the cover of thecontainer, hermetically sealing the leads in hoods or extensions whichcomprise effective insulation. The general form and arrangement of suchapparatus will be found shown and described in an application for UnitedStates Letters Patent heretofore filed by us on or about August 27th,1909, Serial No. 514,908.

It is essential to the proper continuous operation of such a. rectifierthat the path of the are be as directly as possible from the anode tothe mercury cathode. The point of departure of the are from the mer- Vcury cathode which is called the cathode spot moves about more or lessupon the surface of the mercury. It is moreover a well known fact thatif a solid metal is placed in contact with the mercury cathode, there isa tendency for the cathode spot to form on the solid metal surface andremain there, and we have found that the cathode spot may, unlessprovisions are made to the contrary, leave the mercury surface entirelyand run along a metallic cathode lead until it arrives at a point asnear as possible to the anode. Such action is detrimental because itinterferes with the normal,

proper behavior of the rectifier and also.

endangers the integrity of the cathode lead. It is to this situationthat the improvements herein described are addressed.

In the drawings hereto annexed which illustrate examples of ourinvention,-Figure 1 is a vertical section of a metal containedrectifier; and Fi 2 is a cross section of the same along the line H inFig. 1.

Referring to the figures, A represents a cylindrical metal containerconstructed preferably of sheet steel to which a lid K of the samematerial is hermetically joined as by welding. A cathode lead B andanode leads 0, D communicate with the cathodes Band anodes G, D,respectively and are sealed through the cover K in the manner describedin our application Serial No. 514,908; The mercury cathode B iscontained in a cup or lining E made of refractory insulating material,and the oathode lead comprises a plate preferably of iron or steel andmarked B which is secured to and supported by the riser portion B. Thatportion of the cathode lead which extends upward from the mercury is ofunprotected metal, the tendency as above described is for the cathodespot tocreep up on the metal riser 13' until it is close to the anode C.

In order to confine the cathode spot from which the are proceeds, and toprevent wan-' dering and creeping of this cathode spot, we

provide a screen or cylinder G of insulat-.

ing material, such as porcelain, the lower edge of which dips below thesurface of the mercury cathode B, and which surrounds the anode oranodes of the apparatus extending upward to a point well above theactive anode surface. acts as a barrier to the passage of an are from ananode to any portion of the cathode except immediately below the anodeor to any solid metal portion of the cathode lead.

This shield G thus v This protective screen or cyhnder may convenientlybe mounted on legs G which rest on the bottom of the cathode cup E.

What we claim and desire to secure 'by '5 Letters Patent is:

1. In a vapor electric apparatus, a closed I container, a mercurycathode in the bottom thereof, an anode, leads for the cathode and anoderespectively, comprising risers ex- 10 tending upward and sealed in thecontainer wall, and a screen of insulating material surrounding theanode and in contact with the mercury of which the cathode is composed.

a mocaaoa sulating material surrounding and confining the arc pathbetween the anode and themercury surface Within saidinclosure.

Signed by us at Boston, Massachusetts this twentieth day of June 1910.

CHARLES A. KRAUS. ROY D. MAILEY.

Witnesses:

CHARLES D. WooDBEBRY, JOSEPHINE H. RYAN.

